On the Age of 20 in Judaism

One of my readers commented (with his usual vitriolic language) about this age in the context of halachic maturity (which was the essence I was discussing in that original article in respect of Yossi Feldman focussing on age 13 at the Royal Commission as being the transition from a minor to something else). I felt this was disingenuous, but be that as it may, another reader sent me the following which I present as of interest. If I find some time over Shabbos, I may add to this from the Tzitz Eliezer as I had mentioned in the comments section.

Rate this:

Share this:

Related

Author: pitputim

I'm a computer science professor in Melbourne, Australia although my views have naught​ to do with my employer. I skylark as the band leader/singer for the Schnapps Band.
My high schooling was in Chabad and I continued at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh in Israel.
View all posts by pitputim

16 thoughts on “On the Age of 20 in Judaism”

The only halachos for which 20 is relevant are
1. The army, which is obviously because of a man’s physical development
2. The age by which a man should be married, which is again related to physical development
3. To sell inherited real estate. The chachomim made a special restriction that a teenager who inherited land can’t sell it until he’s 20. He can sell movable objects and animals, but not land. This is the only one of the three that is related to mental maturity.

But there is no dispute that at 13 a man is subject to punishment by beis din, and is obligated to bring korbonos. None of the sources you cite above dispute this in any way. (The apocrypha are not a source at all. Citing them just tends to discredit anything else the person writes.)

Army service from 20 is apparently not brought down in the Rambam.The possuk says” mbein esrim shana yotzei tzava beyisrael” Rashi understands from this that one needs to be 20 to be in the army, other rishoinim i believe learn it to mean that at twenty one is a full fledged member.of klal yisroel
The Kli Yakar explains that the reason one is drafted at twenty is because that is when one becomes chayav bedinai shomayim and therefore at this age people will be more scrupulous about sinning since they are more liable.As we know, according to Rabbi Yossi haglili, mi haish, hayarei verach halevav yashuv lebeito, is from aveirot shebeyado, so it follows that the soldiers with fewer sins is the better soldier.

Do yourselves a favour. It also relates to this weeks Shekalim. Read the Tzitz Eliezer Chelek 11 I glanced through it today before davening and you will find a fulsome discussion and plenty of Mekoros.

You say: “at twenty is because that is when one becomes chayav bedinai shomayim”. I will adopt that and quote:
בן עשרים לרדוף: אחר מזונותיו לאחר שלמד מקרא משנא וגמרא ונשא אשה והוליד בנים צריך הוא לחזור ולבקש אחר מזונות. פי’ אחר בן עשרים לרדוף אותו מן השמים ולהענישו על מעשיו שאין ב”ד של מעלה מענישים פחות מבן עשרים
In the same chapter of Avot it says: בן שלש עשרה למצות and Yehuda ben Teyma does not say that he is Bar Onshim at that age. Let us remind us, what does the lad know? He is still in the middle of learning Mishna and has not even started learning Gemara, which he should start only two years later. Does ben Teyma mean that he has learned already something, and he should start adopting the למעשה at that age – age 13?
Let us have a look at ben Teyma’s “ages”. At the age of 18 he marries and only at the age of 20 he takes on working for his living ( מזונות וכו’ ). How did he survive the years between marriage and work? Some say that these two years he was living with his father-in-law who supported him. According to ben Teyma; first you learn Mikra, second you learm Mishna and while learning Mishna you go to step three and marry. Step four of finding a job and earning money is only two years later.
Now let us look at what the Rambam says that a reasonable person should adopt.
רמב”ם הלכות דעות פרק ה:
דרך בעלי דעה שיקבע לו אדם מלאכה המפרנסת אותו תחילה, ואחר כך יקנה בית דירה, ואחר כך ישא אשה, שנאמר מי האיש אשר נטע כרם ולא חללו, מי האיש אשר בנה בית חדש ולא חנכו, מי האיש אשר ארש אשה ולא לקחה, אבל הטפשין מתחילין לישא אשה ואחר כך אם תמצא ידו יקנה בית ואחר כך בסוף ימיו יחזור לבקש אומנות או יתפרנס מן הצדקה […]
We can see here that the Rambam stresses his point; he gives the two ways of behavior, one of the Ba’ale Deah and the other of the fools.
I just brought here the Rambam, to show that there are different opinions. There are others who think differently.
Why would any Hiyuv Onshim be applied before the Hiyuv Onshim biyde Shomayim which is 20?
My humble conclusion is that Yehuda ben Teyma could not have meant that a thirteen years old child is Bar Onshim. As said, he is still in the middle of learning Mishna and does not know anything about Gemara. How can he be a Bar Onshim?

I am no Posek and not a Dayan in a Beth Din. These are just my opinions; you do not have to accept it.

I stress my comment was more in the context of Feldman’s testimony and pedophillia and I’m pretty sure the judiciary would have been flummoxed and understood he was saying 13 was the only age from which someone could be dealt with. It’s silly. Even if a Beis Din would say someone is a minor 13 or 20, none of that stops ANYONE from dealing with an issue in an appropriate manner. His evidence was pilpulic and I thought the royal commission would see him (and Judaism) as somewhat strange and medieval. We need to remember that there is a CHIYUV (correct millhouse) that their (sensible) morals don’t exceed ours

I have not found jet that the half Shekel was for army purposes. I did find that, at least once, it was used for the Bedek Habayit of the Beth Hamikdash. We can see it in Mlachim B 12. The parshanim say (will quote only one, but the others, including Rashi are in the same opinion):
מלבי”ם מלכים ב פרק יב
הוטל עליהם לחזק את בדק הבית, וזכר שצוה להם לקחת שלשה מיני הקדש, א] כסף מחצית השקל, וזה כסף עובר על הפקודים, ב] כסף ערכין, ג] כסף נדרים ונדבות והקדשים והחרמים